


devil in a new dress

by kiwiblossom



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: F/M, Shelby POV, Some Humor, University AU, Violence, superhero/supervillain au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-05-03 10:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14566635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwiblossom/pseuds/kiwiblossom
Summary: Heckyl had always been a peripheral figure in Shelby's college career. Not by any choice on her part, but just by nature of who he was. He was like a living train wreck. No-one wanted to get close, but everyone wanted to watch. Heir to Arcanon Industries. Political Science genius. Elite pedigree. On paper he's a star. In reality, he's a hurricane of self-disaster. But Shelby has better things to do than focus on a messy boy with more money than common sense. That is until she is selected as his calculus tutor. Heckyl is failing and its her job to make sure he doesn't. Suddenly, she has a lot more Heckyl than she can handle and soon she realizes that where Heckyl goes, no good can follow.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just spreading my Shelby appreciation propaganda. I liked Shelby and Heckyl's interactions during the show so I wanted to write this. I don't have everything planned out so this is just going to be an interesting, little story. I hope you enjoy it! Leave a comment or kudos if you do.
> 
> Best.

30 minutes in and he hadn’t shown. 

Shelby wasn’t surprised. Their email correspondence had been sparse and students like him were known to be flight risks.

She didn’t particularly care if he showed up or not as she got paid regardless. But still, she knew the importance of respecting people’s time, especially since it was a friday night. It wasn’t like she had any plans, but it was still the principle of the thing.

Checking the clock, she opened her laptop to log her hours. Thirty minutes of prep plus this one and a half hour session totaled to $36. Perfect. She needed to go grocery shopping.

Shelby pushed her computer off to the side and opened her book on Greco-Roman architecture. She would stay around just in case he found it in his heart to show up.

Surprisingly, he did. 

Startled from her readings, Shelby looked up at the man who had loudly called her name.

She stood up from her seat and stuck her hand out.

“Yes! And you must be Heckyl.”

He didn’t take her hand and instead sat down in the chair next to her, pulling out a notepad and pencil.

Shelby awkwardly retracted her arm and sat back down.

She tried to make light of the slight.

“Yeah, you’re right. We only have 30 minutes we should get to the point.”

“Isn’t this an hour and a half meeting?” Heckyl questioned, looking at his watch, “I’ve barely been here 5 minutes.”

“You said you wanted to meet at 4 and it’s currently 5.”

“Oh, yeah sorry about that. I got caught up with something and figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Shelby stared at him.

“I understand if you have Friday plans though,” he continued, “We can cut this short to an hour.”

Shelby scoffed.

“Well, thank you for your generosity. Do you have the book with you?”

“No, I thought you were bringing it.”

“Did you...did you read the email the study center sent? I’m not currently in Calculus I.”

“Then why are you my tutor if you’re not in the class?”

“I’m in a more advanced course, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations.”

“What does that have to do with you not having the book?”

“You know what, let’s just get started. Next time please bring your book.”

Shelby opened up her laptop and pulled up some basic problems for him to practice.

On his referral sheet, Heckyl’s professors had cited issues with fundamental concepts, such as theorems and formulas, which was troubling. Shelby needed to know how bad his foundation was. He had self-reported to her how he had barely managed to squeak by through his other classes and just needed to do the same here. This had struck fear in her heart. She sensed she was going to have a lot of work on her plate.

Shelby understood that different people had different strengths and weaknesses. She, herself had a hard time with close reading, so she wasn’t going to begrudge people for finding a certain subject difficult. However, for Heckyl, she figured his weakness was just his laziness.

All the money and support in the world and yet here he was, forced to sit with her, a remedial tutor and the last line of defense for failing students. 

So, now it was her job to ensure that he didn’t flunk out. She was a top performer in all of her math courses and she would have to do everything in her power to not let this boy affect the university’s 98% graduation rate.

After a few minutes of Heckly staring at the computer screen pretending to think he turned back toward her.

“I’m not quite sure what formulas to use here. Would you mind enlightening me?”

“The point of this exercise is for you to recall the formulas and apply them. I mean I’ll give you a hint, they’re trigonometric.”

“You’re being awfully vague. Is it possible to be a little bit more specific?”

Shelby bit her lip, stopping herself from saying what she so desperately wanted to say.

Instead, she opened up another tab and searched for the formulas he was supposed to know. 

“Okay, how about we start off with some memorization.”

They ended up staying there for the full hour and a half, which Shelby was absolutely going to log into her payroll. Asking him to sit and memorize formulas was like asking a hyperactive child to focus. He had the attention span of a golden retriever and the memory of a goldfish. At some points she was almost begging him to write something down or pay attention. This confused Shelby. It was his grade on the line not hers. He constantly checked his phone or looked away from what she was trying to highlight, letting his eyes track people walking throughout the library.

At the end of their time, she used the library computers to print out a few formula sheets and practice problems.

“I can’t emphasize how important this is, but please memorize everything on here and do all the practice problems by the next time we meet.”

He grabbed the paper and shoved it into his backpack without looking at it.

“I’ll get it done don’t worry about it. I just have an incredibly busy schedule.”

Shelby smiled tensely.

“I’m sure, but remember you’re here because you are failing.”

He smiled back at her and removed himself from his chair, fishing around in his backpack for something. He found it and then stuck his hand out for Shelby to grab it.

 

She took it from him and examined it. It was a $20 bill.

“Wait what-”

“It’s just a little something extra. Thanks for your hard work.”

“I’m not a concierge” she sputtered.

But he was already heading out.

.  
.  
.  
His name was Heckyl.

Heckyl [redacted] as he had made sure to let everyone know. He thought himself a freethinker, a rebel, a person who would write their own story. He didn’t want to be burdened by the expectations that came with his familial name. Shelby had found it odd that he had proclaimed this during their freshman year reflection speech series. It was the most attention grabbing way of announcing that he didn’t want attention.

Like most people, Shelby was familiar with his family’s business, Arcanon Industries. 

Fortune 500. A market cap in the billions. A stake in almost every industry, from biotech and defense to restaurants and casinos.

Even her own family had dealt with them. Without their financial investment, her father would have never been able to start his store, Watkins Ice Cream. In a sense they were her family’s original supporters.

However, looking at the heir apparent of this immense conglomerate the company did lose a little prestige for her.

She was a little jealous of him. No matter what he did or the mistakes he made he was going to end up with a cushy job at his family’s company. Shelby wished she had that level of comfort and security. Instead she had to play the game like everyone else.

Which was why she sat in a two piece navy suit, her hair slicked back in a bun at a high end restaurant, interviewing for the Arcanon Industries Community Outreach and Development Department’s summer internship.

She had a lot of negative feelings toward Arcanon and its practices, 99% of them directed toward it’s son, but this was one of the best internship opportunities that Shelby would every come across.

She was double majoring in Business and Geophysics with a focus on Paleontology and Geobiology. Her past summers had been spent doing digs and completing unpaid internships at the Smithsonian. But her dream was to head a Natural Science and History Museum, curating the collections and drafting the educational plan. Arcanon Industries donated heavily to museums in major metropolitan areas and had a large governing stake in most of them. They tended to place people in highly-influential positions.

Even the current director of the Amber Beach Dinosaur Museum had been apart of Arcanon Community Outreach and Development.

It would be a career defining step. 

Plus it was one of the only internships that paid.

The interviewer was pleasant, if not a little dull. This was her third round of interviews and she didn’t know how many more times she could subtly say she would die for a position like this.

“You seem highly interested in both administrative work and field operations. Do you prefer one over the other?”

“Well, last summer I worked on an expedition site in Nova Scotia and…”

Suddenly, Shelby’s phone rang. Embarrassed, she fished it out of her bag to turn it off.

“I’m so sorry. I thought this was on silent.”

She checked the caller ID. It was Heckyl.

How had he gotten her number?

She turned her phone on vibrate and turned back to the interviewer.

“Apologies, let me start over.”  
.  
.  
.  
She called him back immediately after her interview. 

A few rings and then click

“Hello?”

“Hey, Heckle. It’s Shelby. Um...how did you get my number?”

“The registrar’s office. You didn’t privatize any of your information.”

“Okay that’s something to add to my list. What do you want?”

“I just remembered I have a makeup test tomorrow. Could you come over and help me review the material for an hour or two.”

Shelby checked the clock on her phone.

“It’s six. This is kind of a late notice.”

“I know and that’s why I’m asking very nicely.”

Shelby racked her brain, pulling up a mental schedule of what she had for the rest of the night. Besides an essay that she needed to start, she didn’t have much. So technically she could do this late night study session. But did she really want to?

“I’m on 5th Ave so it’ll take me about an hour to get back to campus.”

“Where exactly are you? I can send a car.”

“No, it's okay. I can take the M2 bus back .”

“Sounds good.”

“Oh and next time just text me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, but with calling I get an immediate response.”  
.  
.  
.

The bus was surprisingly empty for 6pm on a weeknight.

Normally it was packed with professionals heading home for the day. But today it was just Shelby and a few others. She sat down in the back and gazed out the window, mentally cringing over all the little mistakes she had made during the interview.

She prayed she got this position. If not, it would be back to some research position which she would have to apply to a grant for. Just more work on top of everything else she had.

Halfway through the trip the bus hit traffic so heavy they had to come to a complete stop. Shelby had already pre-mapped the route and this was New York, so the traffic block was not entirely unexpected. However, ten minutes later when they had barely progressed a block, Shelby brought out her phone to message Heckyl.

Her text message was met with another phone call.

“Yes, Heckyl.”

“Should I send the car now?”

“It wouldn’t be able to reach me. Traffic is terrible”

“Helicopter?”

She rolled her eyes.

“You know that’s actually not a bad idea why don’t you-”

The bus started shaking.

Not continuously like an earthquake, but in a sequence of stops and starts like something or someone was pounding the earth again and again and again.

She heard the screams after a while, distant yet audible. People began exiting their cars and frantically running. They flew past the bus window, a flurry of bodies. Still on the phone, Shelby turned around and looked out of the rear windows.

Subdued chaos. Horns honking. People sprinting. Something large and dark approaching.

The headlights from the cars blinded her, but she could still make out the outline of the figure drawing closer. It was as tall as the buildings around them; moved like a machine but looked like a beast. A bull’s head on a human frame. A minotaur.

It continued its advance crushing everything in its path.

“Hey, Shelby are you still there? If you’re serious about the helicopter I can call my pilot.”

But Shelby wasn’t listening. She was making her way to the front of the bus. The people around her were in shock, eyes transfixed on the events surrounding them.

“Driver, please open up the door!”

Missiles flew through the sky connecting with the minotaur in a series of fiery explosions. The beast collapsed backwards, sending shockwaves through the earth. They knocked Shelby off her feet smacking her face forward into the bus floor. Her phone fell from her hand sliding out of reach.

“Shelby? Shelby?!”

A megazord hovered in the sky. It’s rocket launchers ready to fire again. The minotaur stood up, letting out a distorted roar. It began to run forward, gaining speed with every step it took. 

Shelby braced herself up onto a seat and brought her hand up to her nose to stop the blood flow. The people on the bus were now trying to escape but the ground shook too furiously, sending them crashing to the ground. 

Suddenly, the hand of the minotaur grabbed the bus, collapsing the ceiling and caving the sides in, sending glass flying everywhere. It lifted the bus off of the ground and the passenger’s screams reached a fever pitch.

Shelby looked out the window at the machine. She stared into its red mechanical eyes, dilating and contracting like a camera trying to focus. The machine breathed and fire and steam blew from its nostrils. She could hear the whirring and the clicking of its gears as it brought the bus up and up and up.

It threw them at the Megazord. The bus hurtled through the air towards its target and the people inside spun around weightless until-

-impact.

Her head slammed against the ceiling and then darkness.

.  
.  
.  
Her left arm was broken in three different places and she had a concussion. She couldn’t remember how many times the doctors and nurses had told her how extremely fortunate she was, how fortunate everyone was.

She had watched the many shaky vertically-shot videos on Youtube of how the Megazord had simply caught the bus and moved them out of harm’s way before resuming its assault.

It had prevented any fatalities, but Shelby had still been approached to be apart of a class action lawsuit against the city. This machine had been one of the creations of Wrench, who was patiently waiting for a government issued lethal injection. The Crime Task Force had claimed that everything of his had been confiscated; that all known blueprints and creations and ideas had been destroyed. How then did they let something so destructive slip through their grasp?

Her parents had wanted to fly her back to Amber Beach to recover, but she had refused. Not even a few manipulative phone calls from her friends could convince her. She just had too much work. It was nearing midterms season. And besides these attacks were almost a semi-regular occasion in New York. She would be fine.

So two days after the event, she went back to university with her arm in a sling and a referral to her campus’ Survivors of Domestic Terrorism group therapy sessions.

.  
.  
.  
The following day, she found out she got the Arcanon Industries internship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. Apologies for the delay and for any typos in this chapter. I went through the last chapter and cleaned up some errors, but I'm the only pair of eyes looking at this and so I've probably missed something. Thanks for all the love for the last chapter. Don't be afraid to review :) I love hearing what you all think, both positive and negative.

“You know the first thing I felt when I heard you were caught up in the middle of that mess was intense displeasure. I couldn’t imagine working with another tutor at this point. We’ve just bonded so well.”

“Heckyl, your concern for me is...heartwarming. It truly is.”

They were sitting in a cozy Parisian style cafe on the upper East Side. The prices were outrageous, but the tea and warm atmosphere more than made up for it. Soft jazz played in the background, compelling Shelby to tap her foot along with it. Heckyl grabbed a macaron from the pastry basket they had ordered and stared out the window, mindlessly observing the activity outside.

She had spent the Saturday morning traveling through the city looking at apartments to sublease for the summer. The Arcanon housing stipend was very generous and so she was able to limit her search to the upscale areas in close proximity to Arcanon headquarters. Her search had eventually led her to the upper East Side. The buildings were exquisite. Some were modeled after Roman-Greco designs; others paid tribute to contemporary American styles. She fell in love with all of them, but ultimately decided on an apartment with little personality but a grand view of Central Park. She could see herself every morning, the light of dawn caressing her and the warmth of the sun awakening her. Her eyes would open and her first view would be that of the sprawling greenery of the park. It was a romantic vision.

After signing the preliminary paperwork with the owner, she had decided to lounge in Central Park and enjoy the fall air.

Sitting on a bench, munching on glazed peanuts, and contemplating buying bread to feed the ducks she had locked eyes with Heckyl, who had caught sight of her before she of him.

Licking a vanilla ice cream cone he made his way over to her.

“You up for some tea?”

She considered it for a moment.

“Sure, but any math talk and I’m billing you.”

Heckyl had almost been unrecognizable in a black suit and tie; his hair slicked down and under control. It was a sharp departure from his normal attire consisting of that sloppy steam-punk style.

It was also highly formal compared to Shelby’s athleisure look.

She was curious to know what he was doing in this part of the city, but she was afraid he would ask the same of her.

She couldn’t lie convincingly and she didn’t quite want to tell him the reason for her visit. But surprisingly, he didn’t say or ask anything and they had walked to the cafe in silence.

“In all seriousness. I am quite happy you are okay.”

“Well, not entirely okay,” she said gesturing to her cast, “But if could have been way worse. I’m just glad the Power Rangers were there.”

“Ah yes. The Power Rangers.”

His response piqued Shelby's interest.

The Power Rangers were controversial figures, often reduced down to political segments and classroom debates on whether you thought they were good or bad. Even in her therapy group, where people had their lives snatched from the claws of death by the rangers, the amount of vitriol and disdain towards the vigilantes was astounding.

Heckyl’s tone was odd, which wasn’t surprising all things considered.

She wasn’t going to press him, but he must have read her mind for he leaned back in his chair, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

“I’m not exactly their biggest fan if you haven’t already guessed that already.”

Shelby quirked a brow.

“Really? Even though they saved my life.”

“It’s certainly not a minus... but they’re just so troublesome.”

Heckyl was being awfully vague, but it was no secret that the Power Rangers had a complicated relationship with many companies that had stakes in the defense industry. Whereas pre-established businesses had to go through regulations and the red tape of bureaucracy to develop new weapons, the Power Rangers came out of nowhere with unrecognizable and unregulated tech and the government simply turned a blind-eye.

Could you imagine if RPM & Co. launched missiles onto U.S territory like the Rangers had? It would be a PR nightmare.

Arcanon was one of the businesses that was hit the hardest. Weapons manufacturing was their bread and butter. Started as a small rifle manufacturer during the turn of the 19th Century, Arcanon grew in power and prestige as a result of the World Wars. Throughout the century, they spread their wings into other ventures; always striking when the iron was hot. However, in the past few years, through the buyouts of several competing manufacturers and the approval of lucrative military contracts, it had been working to reaffirm its place in an industry that experts were once again proclaiming had “potential for exponential growth.”

The Rangers just had such unfortunate timing.

It must have been difficult for Heckyl- his father was in charge of the department. Shelby hated herself for knowing this, but every overblown newspaper, whether it be the New York Times or Bloomberg, reported on the company every single day. 

“Maybe you guys should team up. Like, trade some insider knowledge.”

Heckyl chewed on a croissant.

“Actually we kind of are. I’m not sure how much I can tell you, but since your working for my family this summer…”

“Wait, how did you know that?!”

Heckyl shrugged and ignored her question.

“Community Outreach and Development Department, huh? How on brand for you.”

“I’m mildly uncomfortable you have this information.”

He waved his hand, dismissing her concern.

“Well, anyway back to what I was saying..”

He made a show of looking around the cafe for any prying eyes and ears, before moving in closer to her.

He lowered his voice to a whisper.

“We actually are, in a way. We’ve been in talks and are developing something similar to the Megazord, but with some major structural and functional improvements. I mean, what they have is good, but the Power Rangers have been around for what, 5-6 years? We’ve been around for almost a century and a half, we can make it better.”

Shelby was shocked. The Power Rangers existed in such a grey space she never thought Arcanon would risk dealing with them. But it made complete sense. If you couldn’t beat them, then join them.

“I trust you can keep a secret.”

Shelby nodded.

“Well, with that, I’m leaving. I have some business in Midtown.”

He removed himself from his chair and Shelby bid him goodbye. However, after taking a few steps, he turned back around and reached into his coat.

“I almost forgot. I just got this today and was going to give it to you on Sunday.”

He pulled out a white envelope and handed it to her.

“What is it? I hope it’s not tip money.” She asked, peeling it open.

“No. It’s an invitation.”

She unfolded the sheet of paper inside.

It was an invitation to see the Power Rangers receive the key to the city.  
.  
.  
.

She was running late. Even after all this time, she still underestimated how long it would take her to shower and get ready with her cast. She had wanted to dress up a little, put on a splash of makeup, and do her hair. However, it was 8:01 pm and her laptop screen lit up, a skype call coming through.

If Tyler was anything it was punctual.

She settled for a camisole set and left her sopping wet hair wrapped up in a towel.

She sat on her bed and adjusted her computer.

“Hi Tyler! What’s up?”

His camera quality was poor. He said something, but she couldn’t catch it through the distortion.

She hung up and called again.

“Hey Shelby. Sorry about that I was in a bad area.”

From the looks of it he was walking somewhere. His cell phone camera was angled so that the underside of his chin took up most of the screen. He kept his eyes forward mostly, but would ever so often glance down at his phone.

“Where are you headed.”

“Back to work.”

“It's Saturday.”

“Yeah I know,” Tyler laughed, “But I got called in to finish a last minute project.”

“We can talk later if this is an inconvenient time for you.”

“Nah, this is the only time I have. I'm pretty much booked up for the rest of the week.”

“Ah, okay.”

The conversation halted as Tyler became preoccupied with something else. She couldn't see the exchange, but he spoke to someone in a language she didn't understand. A short moment later, he brought a sandwich into the screen and began to eat it.

“Where are you?”

“Japan!”

“How does it compare to New Zealand.”

“Busier.”

“I'd love to see it someday.”

“Yeah it's a great place.”

Tyler continued to eat his sandwich.

“How's your arm?” He asked.

“It's healing well. Fortunately, I’ve avoided being in the center of any other mishap.”

There had hardly been any mishaps to get into. In the month following the Minotaur attack, nothing of that magnitude had happened. There had been small incidents throughout the city, but nothing serious and certainly nothing to warrant the frenzied media cycle that followed them.

A bank in the Financial District was robbed last week and before the police could even arrive at the scene, everyone collectively screamed out “Wrench!”

Wrench was effectively dead and yet his presence still loomed over the city. It did scare her that his tech was in the hands of something who was willing and able to us it, but they had yet to show their hand again. Instead of crying foul over everything , the city should be preparing for when they did strike again.

“How about you ? Are you staying out of trouble?”

Tyler smiled.

“For the most part.”

Suddenly, her phone rang.

It was Heckyl.

She pressed X to end the call.

“Who was that?”

“Nobody. Just some guy I’m tutoring.”

Her phone immediately rang again.

She sighed deeply and picked up the phone.

“Heckyl I’m busy.”

She hung up.

Her phone rang again.

“Maybe it’s something urgent?” Tyler offered.

“It never really is.”

She wanted to ignore it, but picked up the phone regardless.

“Hello?”

“Shelby! I don’t appreciate being hung up on. What if this was a life or death emergency?”

“Is it a life or death emergency?”

“No, but I have an assignment due at midnight and I don’t know how to do the last part.”

“What assignment? Isn’t your next one due on Friday?”

“This is the differential equations one. It was due on Wednesday.”

“You said you turned that in.”

“No, I lied and took a 72 hour extension.”

“I am going to strangle the life out of you.”

The effectiveness of a remedial tutor was entirely dependent on the student’s willingness to improve. Normally the threat of retaking a class or losing out on merit scholarships spurred most to hit the books. But with Heckyl’s “disposition” she had been not-so-subtly asked by her supervisors to meet him far more than half-way. She spoke to his professor and teaching assistant, memorized his syllabus, reviewed lecture notes, and rented his textbook. She was paid for all of this, of course, but it was frustrating working with someone without a single modicum of drive or motivation.

She had become a remedial tutor to help students from under-resourced backgrounds succeed with material they hadn’t been exposed to before. Instead, she just taught assholes.

“Meet me at Bartley’s in ten minutes.”

She hung up for good this time.

Shelby didn’t know how much of that Tyler had heard, but he seemed distracted by trying to navigate the streets to work.

“I have to go.”

“Okay talk to you later.”

“Wait! Are you coming back to Amber Beach for the holidays?”

He didn't speak for a minute.

“I’m not sure, but talk to you later, Shelby.”

“Yeah...talk to you soon.”  
.  
.  
.

Shelby was still mad at Heckyl, but she wasn’t going to let her anger stop her from seeing the Power Rangers.

She had asked him the night before why he had invited her when he had called, not texted like a normal person, to remind her to show up and thus not waste his precious +1.

“I feel partially to blame for what happened. Obviously it was 50% you and 50% me, you did agree to come, but I’d figured you to want to see them.”

Which was insulting, but also surprisingly touching.

She struggled to get through the mob of people crowding around the steps of city hall. Many people held up signs expressing their admiration or wore costumes mimicking the heroes. This was not a place for dissenters. The security was too tight.

A police officer scanned her ticket and examined her ID before letting her into the restricted section. She made her way to her seat. Heckly had already settled into the chair next to her’s and he waved as she walked down.

“You cut it awfully close.”

“Taking a cab turned out to be a very big mistake.”

A man sat down in the seat in front of them and turned around.

“Heckyl? What a surprise.”

He stuck his hand out and Heckyl shook it.

“I thought your father was going to be the one to sit in on this drivel.”

“He’s in Macau.”

“Lucky man.”

He turned towards Shelby.

“And who might this be?”

“Forgive me for not introducing you. Dr. Adler, this is Shelby Watkins, a classmate of mine. Shelby this is Dr. Viktor Adler, Regional Director of Org Pharmaceuticals.

“Sorry you had to be dragged out to this,” Dr. Adler said as he shook her hand.

“Oh, no I am very glad to be here. I’m looking forward to seeing the Power Rangers.”

“Well, too bad you have to endure the mayor’s meaningless yapping to do so.”

A blast from the sky drew everyone’s heads upwards. The wind picked up, whipping around them, and the heat from the rocket propulsions warmed the chilly air. 

They were here.

The megazord descended.

Hovering above the front of city hall, it’s stomach opened. Five rangers jumped out and landed deftly on the steps.

Aqua. Silver. Pink. Gold. Black.

A roar spread throughout the crowd. People cried and screamed their throats hoarse. Cameras flashed and phones were thrust into the air to record every single moment.

The megazord ascended and disappeared back into the sky.

The mayor came out then. He shook every Ranger’s hand and exchanged a few words with them before stepping up to the podium. He waited for the screams to die down and then he began.

“My fellow citizens of New York City, today is a momentous day. We have come to celebrate this group of brave men and women who boldly fight against the horrors that face this city. They have altered the course of history and have brought back hope where it no longer abided. When I was a child, my father was the Chief of Police of the 48th Precinct..”

He continued; digressing from the Power Rangers to talk about topics that had nothing to do with them- the heroism of his father, the fireman and policeman of the city, the economy. On and on and on.

Shelby stopped listening and stared at the Power Rangers.

She wished they weren’t wearing masks. She wanted to see their faces and watch their reactions. How did they feel standing in front of throngs of people who loved and praised them? Would they laugh, smile, scowl? She wished they would wave so she could wave back, letting out the giddy feeling inside of her. But instead, they stood motionless with their arms folded behind their backs. 

“Where do you think the rest of them are?”

She was startled by Heckyl’s whisper, but didn’t turn to him.

“Out protecting the world probably. It’s the key to the city, not the Medal of Honor. I think I would be shocked if all of them had come.”

“Yeah...When was the last time they were even all together?”

Shelby took a moment to ponder. There were so many of them it was hard to keep track. Plus they had no identifying features besides the color of their suits and even then many of them were far too similar- aqua and blue were the gravest culprits. 

6 of them had been in Lagos 3 months ago, 8 in Europe last Spring, and 7 in Panama a year and a half ago. The most frequent group size was 5- the amount it took to operate a Megazord. 

The last time all 10 had been together was 5 years ago, in New York City.

“They came for Wrench. So, we actually might get to see them all again soon.”

“I’m not so sure. This copycat, or copycats, are not as good.”

“That Minotaur seemed pretty good to me.”

“It was competent, but you saw how easily it was taken out. These people have the blueprints, but they don’t have whatever it was had that made him so special.”

“Then, that’s great. I’d rather his work be in the hands of incompetent people. I’m not exactly clamoring for someone to come in and be the next big thing. I’d love to see all of the Rangers fighting and working together, but the less of them there are the safer the city. And I’m fine with that.”

The mayor backed away from the podium and displayed the ornate case containing the key to the city. The Black Ranger stepped up to grab the box. The crowd cheered. Cameras flashed. Audience members in the restricted section stood to their feet and clapped. Shelby stood up. Heckyl did not.

The Megazord returned and took the Power Rangers back to the sky.

The applause died down quickly after as people began to make their exit. Shelby sat back down and checked the clock on her phone. The ceremony had, surprisingly, only taken up and hour and half. She turned back to Heckyl.

“Where you not satisfied.”

“Not really. I thought the key would be bigger.”

“It’s symbolic.”

“Yes, I’m aware. But making it bigger would have been cooler.”

Shelby laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!  
> cw: mild torture

To celebrate the completion of their final research presentation, her Archeology lab partners invited Shelby to go out and get absolutely plastered. It was the end of a brutal tutorial, in which their semester-long research project on the architectural dwellings of the Indigenous populations of New Mexico culminated into a final project worth 50% of their grade.

 

The class gave her migraines and Shelby was only too happy to see it end.

 

She had considered staying in for the night and letting her friends brave the cold and the snow without her, but they had begged and pleaded. And eventually, it was the insistence of the necessity of a party mom that had her lacing up her snow boots and heading out into the night.

 

“What are you even wearing?” Kimberly had asked when she was able to give Shelby’s look a full up and down.

 

Her lab partners- Kimberly and Trini- were sitting in a booth, sharing a sundae at Fat Cow Creamery. Kimberly was swaying a little in her seat and Trini’s eyes were unfocused, staring off somewhere in the distance. They had obviously been drinking before this. 

 

Shelby appraised her outfit. She was in her red snow boots, a pair of grey sweets, a pink t-shirt and her black puffer jacket. It paled in comparison to what they were wearing- Trini was in a sequined cocktail dress while Kimberly was in a sleek black jumpsuit- but she was comfortable and more importantly, warm.

 

“What’s wrong with it?” Shelby asked.

 

“Frumpy.”

 

“I’m the mom tonight. It’s my job.”

 

“Sure, but did you ever see that movie Bad Moms?”

 

“No. Should I have?”

 

Trini giggled, suddenly coming back to reality, and moved further into the booth. She patted the seat next to her, beckoning for Shelby to sit. When Shelby joined her, Trini put her arm around Shelby and all but draped her body over her.  Shelby laughed and patted her head.

  
“Are you good?”

 

“You ready to party?” Trini asked, slurring her words.

 

“She isn’t yet,” Kimberly interjected, pulling out an airplane sized-bottle of vodka from her bra, “but she soon will be.”

.

.

.

 

They were at their third location of the night. 

 

It was the crew team’s annual Winter Wonderland Bash and the dorm room suite was filled to the brim with drunken college students. 

 

Sweaty bodies grinded against each other to the thumping beats mixed by a dj dressed as a shirtless, sexy Santa Claus. People crowded around the bar clamoring for a drink and others lounged around in the bedrooms, smoking and playing games.

 

Kimberly was among the ones on the dance floor. Upon arrival, she had immediately caught sight of some of her teammates from the volleyball team and had dashed off before Shelby had a chance to snatch her back. Trini had wanted another drink and had led Shelby  over to the bar. After the two had knocked back a shot of Tequila, they had moved over to the snack table.

 

Shelby held on to Trini’s hand and tried to keep track of Kimberly. Shelby had had a few more drinks than she had anticipated and it was difficult to focus. Her vision was blurry and there were quite a few blondes on the dance floor. She couldn’t quite keep track.

 

Trini offered her a pecan tart and she gladly accepted, shoving the whole thing into her mouth.

 

Shelby’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She fished it out and Trini took the opportunity to slip away.

 

“Hello!” She screamed into her phone.

 

The person on the other line said something, but Shelby couldn’t hear them. The music drowned out everything. She walked past the dance floor to where she spotted a closed bedroom door. Shelby opened it and was hit by a wall of smoke. People lounged around chatting and passing around blunts. None of them paid her any mind. Shelby closed the door behind her, muffling the loud music.

 

“Hello, who is this?”

 

“Shelby! It’s me, Heckyl! Where are you right now?”

 

Despite her relocation, Shelby could still hardly hear him. His voice was crowded by the background noise on his end.

 

“I’m at the crew party. Where are you?”

 

“Sig Chi!! You need to come over!!”

 

“The fraternity? What are you doing there?”

 

“I’m Vice President! But Shelby,” he whined, “ Everyone I know left and I’m all alone and I look like a loser. Please come over. Please please please please please!”

 

“Well, you are a loser so… and I can’t. I’m with my friends right now.”

 

“They can come too!! Please please please please please please please.”

 

Shelby pulled the phone away from her. 

 

She contemplated whether or not she should go. Shelby hated the idea of giving Heckyl what he wanted, but Sig Chi parties were notoriously hard to get into and Kimberly and Trini would be furious if they knew she let this opportunity pass.

 

She put the phone back to her ear.

 

“Hmm… okay I’ll come, but I won’t stay for long.”

 

“Oh my God! Shelbyyyyyy. I love you!! Mwah.”

 

Shelby cringed and hung up the phone.

 

She re-entered the main hall and found Trini first. She was sitting down in a corner talking to someone Shelby didn’t know. As Shelby came closer, she realized their conversation was complete gibberish.

 

She grabbed onto Trini’s arm and pulled her up. 

 

“Trini, we’re going to Sig Chi.”

 

At that, Trini burst into tears.

 

“Woah. Are you okay? Do you want to go home?”

 

But Trini shook her head.

 

“No, I’m just… I’m just so excited. I’m happy. Are you not happy?,” Trini smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  
  


Shelby didn’t respond, but grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor to look for Kimberly. Once they found her, she was just as easy to convince. The words “Sig Chi” and “invited” had barely left her mouth before Kimberly was dragging them out the door and into the snow. Kimberly’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Billy, was a member and there was a good chance he would be there.

 

The Sigma Chi fraternity house wasn’t far from the dorm they had just left, but the trip felt like an eternity. Kimberly and Trini ran wild and free as if they were immune to the booze and the elements. Shelby tried to keep up but the alcohol was muddling her mind and the world shook around her.

 

When they finally reached the three-story house, they were greeted by a long line of potential partygoers waiting to enter. A private security guard blocked the entrance, checking names off of a list. Shelby dialed Heckyl and a few moments later he popped out of the door behind the guard. He beckoned for them to come over and the girls climbed up the steps to meet him.

 

“These are my guests.” He said as he patted the security guard on the shoulder.

 

The man stepped aside and the trio was allowed to enter. 

 

“Woah you know Heckyl?” Kimberly whispered, unsuccessfully, as he beckoned them inside.

 

“Yes, I told you this before. He’s the one I’ve been tutoring.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” Kimberly scrunched up her nose, “ He looks kind of weird up close.”

 

“I agree, but these are not things you say out loud,” Shelby chastised.

 

But Kimberly only giggled.

 

“Ladies, Ladies. It’s not kind to insult the host,” Heckle tsked.

 

“Would you rather I say it behind your back?” Kimberly countered.

 

“Of course. Do you think I’m an idiot? Don’t even talk to me if you’re not going to flatter me.”

 

Kimberly laughed and then her eyes caught sight of something further into the house. 

 

“I’ll be right back!” She said excitedly as she sauntered off to where, Shelby could only guess, Billy stood.

 

At that moment, Trini leaned into Shelby and whispered into her ear

 

“I need to use the restroom.”

 

“Do you want me to go with you?” Shelby asked.

 

But tears, once again, began to fill Trini’s eyes.

 

“I’m not a child,” she hiccuped, “ don’t treat me like one.”

 

She stormed off and Shelby just rolled her eyes. She would find her later. 

 

Someone bumped passed Shelby and she became aware that she and Heckyl were still standing near the entrance. 

 

“Heckyl, where is the kitchen?” I need some water.”

 

“Follow me.”

 

Heckyl, however, didn’t just lead her there. He grabbed her hand and tugged her along through the thick throng of people. Shelby wanted to protest, but the pulsating, blaring music and flashing lights left her dizzy and disorientated. She held his hand tightly.

 

The two of them entered the kitchen and Heckyl let go of her to rummage around. He found a clean red solo cup and poured a clear liquid into it out of a bottle. Shelby trusted him, for lack of better judgement, and took a large gulp after he handed it to her.

 

The liquid wasn’t water and it burned all the way down.

 

Shelby coughed and sputtered, setting the cup down on the counter.

 

Heckyl laughed and Shelby looked up at him, noticing for the first time how dilated his pupils were. 

 

He was obviously on something hard.

 

“That wasn’t very nice, Heckyl.”

 

“It, wasn’t?” He pouted, “I’m sorry, I-”

 

Shelby didn’t hear the rest of what he had to say. The world spun and her eyes tilted upwards towards the ceiling. She felt her body begin to collapse towards the ground, but couldn’t stop her backwards descent. Before she hit the ground, a pair of arms jerked her forward. Heckle had grabbed onto her and pulled her into his chest.

 

“Shelby,” he giggled, “ Where are you going?”

 

Her head was still spinning.

 

“I need to throw up.”

 

He led her to a surprising empty bathroom where Shelby immediately ran to the toilet and vomited. Heckyl kept his distance and chose to check on and fix up his appearance in the mirror. 

 

Shelby lay sprawled over the toilet until she had nothing left to regurgitate. Her stomach cramped painfully and her shoulders ached from carrying her bodyweight.

 

“Thanks for all your help,” Shelby spit, falling back against the bathroom wall. 

 

Bits of hair clung to her sweaty skin and she wiped them back.

 

“I brought you here, didn’t I?” He replied as he straightened his jacket.

 

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom opened and a person in a red robe, their face obscured, stood in the doorway. 

 

Heckyl turned to see the intruder and jerked backwards, moving further into the bathroom.

 

“Woah, woah, woah,” Heckyl shook his head,” What the hell are you doing here? You need to-”

 

But before he could finish, the hooded individual pulled a baton-like instrument out from his robe. With a click of a button it whirred on, igniting with electricity. The intruder brought it down across Heckyl face and began to beat him with it until his body lay crumpled halfway inside the bathtub.

 

Shelby screamed and the cloaked figure turned his weapon on her.

.

.

.

 

Her head was pounding and her throat was dry.

 

As she faded back into consciousness, Shelby only felt pain. She tried to move her limbs but couldn’t. Her legs were constricted by something and her arms were awkwardly situated behind her. Her cast had just come off and her finally healed arm was still sore. It burned due to the positioning. 

 

She slowly opened her eyes. She was bent forward and her vision was of the ground. She saw that her feet were bare and that her legs were handcuffed to a chair. She realized that her arms ached because they must have been tied up as well. She rolled herself upright and expanded her view of her current situation. 

 

Rows and rows of hooks dangled from the ceiling, of which some were attached to large slabs of uncooked, red meat. Against a metal wall, stood a table lined with cleavers and knives of all shapes and sizes. Shelby took a breathe and could see it move through the cold air.  

 

A noise to her left drew her attention. She turn to look, trying to focus on the scene before her. A brown haired, pale woman kicked over a chair toppling it and it's inhabitant to the ground. They landed with a crack and Shelby realized the person in the chair was Heckyl. The fall had split his head open and blood began to pour from the gash. The woman stepped on his neck with her heel and pointed a gun at him.

 

Shelby inhaled sharply and the brunette turned around.

 

“Your friend is awake.”

 

She walked to Shelby and pressed the gun to her forward. 

 

Shelby stopped breathing.

 

“How about you answer my questions now.”

 

From his position on the floor, Heckyl smiled, revealing pink-stained teeth.

 

“Tenaya, this is an A and B conversation. No need to bring C into this.”

 

“Keep joking and I’m going to kill her.”

 

She dug the gun further into Shelby’s forehead and Shelby quivered.

 

Heckyl’s smile faltered.

 

“Okay, okay. Can you at least set me up right again.”

 

Tenaya snapped her fingers and a red-cloaked figure emerged, sitting Heckyl and his chair up. More figures in red-cloaks appeared behind him. Shelby didn’t know if they had just materialized or if they had been there all this time and she was just noticing them. Regardless, there were many things Shelby was just noticing- Heckyl’s crooked nose and burgeoning black eyes, the red glint in Tenaya’s eyes and her unnatural facial movement, the splatter of blood on her own shirt.

 

Shelby closed her eyes. She wanted to awaken from this nightmare.

 

“Where is Snide?”

 

“Again, I don’t know, “ Heckyl answered through gritted teeth.

 

“And somehow I don’t believe that.”

 

“It doesn’t matter if you believe it, darling. It’s the truth.”.

 

Tenaya turned her gun towards Heckyl and fired, the bullet piercing his abdomen. 

 

Heckyl spasmed in his chair, pulling against the restraints. A bubble of laughter exploded from his chest.  He hollered as if the whole thing was just a riot. However, eventually his laughs were drowned out by his coughs.

 

“Well, we’re going to have to find a way to get to him or I’m just going to keep shooting.”

 

She turned her gun back to Shelby, but this time she aimed it at her thigh.

 

Heckyl rolled his head back to face the ceiling and groaned. After a few beats he broke the silence.

 

“ I guess we could give him a call.”

 

“A call?”

 

“Yes, it’s a little late, however. Past his bedtime. He might not pick up.”

 

“Oh, he better. For your sake.”

 

Tenaya snapped her fingers again and another red-cloak pulled out a satellite phone and handed it to her.

 

“Let’s ring him up.”

 

But Heckyl shook his head.

 

“No. It has to be a payphone. If it’s not a payphone he’ll know something is up and won’t show.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

“ Am I? And what would I possibly gain from doing that? Tenaya, I’m trying to help you.”

 

Tenaya stood silent for a moment, contemplating Heckyl’s words.

 

“So, I’m just supposed to let you go outside where you’ll make a run for it.”

 

“What makes you think I would try to escape? Besides, you could send one of your goons with me if it makes you feel more comfortable,” Heckyl smiled.

 

“No.”

 

Tenaya placed the gun under Shelby’s chin and tilted her head up.

 

“She’ll do it.”

 

Shelby hadn’t been processing the conversation happening around her. She was in shock. Her ears still rang from the gunshot and hot tears obscured her vision.  She only came to her senses when her restraints were removed and she was pulled to her feet. 

 

A red cloak dragged her across the floor and over to Heckyl. He dropped her to the ground and she laid there, unmoving. 

 

“Shelby, please sit up. You’re embarrassing me.” Heckyl chided, exasperated.

 

She sat up, unthinkingly.

 

“I’m going to need you to do me a little favor. My good friend with the gun over there needs you to make a call to, Snide, another good friend of mine. You’ll have to run to a pay phone that I’m sure can’t be too far away and give him a ring. He’ll come then. And we will, hopefully, be able to leave. Nod, if you understand.”

 

Shelby nodded robotically.

 

“Ok, so here’s the phone number  7189538163\. Repeat it.”

 

She stayed silent.

 

“Shelby, please.” 

 

“ 718...94,” She stuttered.

 

“No no no. 7189538163.”

 

“71895382...82”

 

“Shelby come on focus,” He laughed, “We don’t have much time here.”

 

She tried desperately to concentrate, but couldn’t take her eyes off of the flow of blood that trickled from his nose. It paved its way down to his mouth and because of the movement of his lips, smeared all over and around it. 

 

Her stomach churned.

 

“One last time. 7189538163.”

 

“7189538163.”

 

“Perfect. Just keep saying it over and over again in your head. Now, after you dial the number you need to say the code word.”

 

He brought his head down as close to Shelby’s as physically possible and lowered his voice to a whisper.

 

“Small pepperoni.”

 

“Small...small pepperoni?”

 

Heckyl nodded.

 

“Say your name and just tell him I need him for a last minute thing. He’ll know who you are. Also, there may be a quarter or two in my pocket. Otherwise you’ll have to collect call, which might be a little awkward.”

 

Shelby tentatively fished around in his pants pocket and pulled out the coins. She was then hauled to her feet and pushed towards the exit. Tenaya trained her gun on her.

 

“Be quick and don’t do anything stupid. I’ll know if you do.”

 

Shelby stumbled towards the door before finally finding her feet. She broke out into a run and escaped to the outside. The snow and the wind were merciless, but she could still see a phone booth a few blocks away, illuminated by the streetlight above it. The walk was a torturous one. She didn’t have on her shoes, jacket, or gloves and the cold burned. 

 

She finally reached the pay phone and pulled the receiver off the hook. Her frozen fingers fumbled with inserting the coins and dialing the number. It took her a few tries, but eventually she dialed the correct number and it began to ring on the other line. It rang and rang and rang until, click.

 

_ “Tony’s Pizza. This is Mack speaking. How may I help you?” _

 

Shelby hesitated for a moment, confusion muddling her brain, but she eventually repeated what Heckyl had told her to say.

 

“This is Shelby and small… small pepperoni.”

 

_ “Got it, Miss. A small pepperoni pizza. Did you want anything else with that? I can tell you about the specials we have at the moment.” _

 

She didn’t know what to say next. She wasn’t told this part of the script.

 

“I’m sorry I...I don’t know what to do. I’m Shelby and I’m calling for Heckyl. He needs Snide for some business. It’s something really urgent.”

 

_ “Um, I have no idea who you are talking about. Snide ,was it? I don’t think he works here. It’s just me and John on shift tonight.” _

 

“I’m sorry, but what?”

 

_ “Miss, are you sure you have the right number? This is  _ 7189538163.”

 

“Yes!” Shelby began to sob, “ This is the right number. I memorized it. It’s in my head. This is what  **HE** told me. 7189538163. 7189538163. 7189538163.  I’m looking for Snide. Where is Snide? Heckyl said he would come. This is Shelby and I need him. I need him right now!”

 

_ “Miss, is everything alright? Are you alone right now?” _

 

Shelby cried.

 

“I did what I was told. Why is it not working? I just need this... I just need this one thing.”

 

_ “Where are you right now? Do you need help?” _

 

“I’m going to die. She’s going to shoot me like she shot him and I am going to die here.”

 

_ “Miss, Miss! John is calling 911 right now. Please stay on the line. Miss, please stay on the line.” _

 

The man continued on, but Shelby let the receiver fall from her hand and to the ground.

 

She sobbed and her body shook uncontrollably, partly from the cold but mostly from fear. Her mind started racing with questions. Had Heckyl given her the wrong number? Was this part of Snide’s script? Was this part of Heckyl’s plan? Was this all just an elaborate joke?

 

She didn’t know what to do and so she did nothing. She leaned her forehead against the pay phone and screamed.

 

Everyone was still inside, waiting for her to return. And Shelby knew her only option was to trudge back through the door and resume her captivity. Every fibre in her being wanted to run but she didn’t want to live with the guilt of having let someone die. And she didn’t know whether or not they would hunt her down if she fled.

 

Shelby took a deep breath and forced herself into action.

 

She hung up the phone to end the call and then shakily dialed the police. Tenaya had said she would know, but this was a risk Shelby needed to take. The 911 operator picked up quickly.

 

“911. What’s your emergency?”

 

“I am about to be killed and so is my friend. I don’t know where we are, but please send help quickly.”

 

She hung up then. Too afraid to stay on the line any longer. She desperately hoped the police would be able to track her call and locate her.

 

She began her trek back to her prison; she knew she had been out far too long.

 

Shelby decided she would have to go in and lie: Snide was coming and he said he was coming soon.

 

She paused before the metal door and took a few stabilizing breaths.

 

Hopefully the police would arrive before her story fell through.

 

Shelby turned the knob and the heavy door groaned open. She entered and stepped lightly through the floating meat, rehearsing her lie.

 

However, as she came across the waiting party, she realized it was all in vain.

 

Their three captors lay on the ground, their bodies crumbled and dismembered. But instead of exposed muscle and bone,  wire and metal lay bare from underneath the skin. Black liquid soiled the ground and a faint electrical buzz filled the air.

  
  


And among it all sat Heckyl, cross-legged. His head was down and flexed and fiddled with his hand, oblivious to the carnage around him.

 

“Heckyl?” She whispered.

 

He jolted and placed a hand over his chest .

 

“Shelby , geez. You almost gave me a heart attack. Don't sneak up on me like that.”

 

“ What… what is happening?”

 

Heckyl swiveled around and surveyed the room, as if just noticing the scene before him

 

“Oh this? Well, this was me saving our lives. So, you're welcome. “

 

“Did you ki-?”

 

“Kill them?” He interrupted, “ No, killing implies that they were alive. Maybe at some point they were, I don't know, “ He shrugged, “ but certainly not anymore. I mean look at them . They barely pass for human. Tenaya, no all of them, really needed that new hardware update. I am just...kind of mad because I could have gotten that update for them if they had wanted it and asked nicely, but I guess they were fine looking like theme park animatronics. Tenaya 7 could have finally been Tenaya 8, but whatever-”

 

Shelby lowered herself to the ground as sharp pains cascaded down her legs. She examined the soles of her feet, tuning out what Heckyl was saying . They were a faded blue.

 

“-, but I did not “kill” them,” He said with air quotes, “ I just Houdini-ed my way out of the cuffs… well not as elegantly. My hand is a mess. But anyways, I just hit the override code on one of those red cloaked minions- which I was a little nervous wasn’t going to work, by the way- and let him do this,” He gestured to the remains around him, “ for me. I did almost get shot, again, but I’m fine.”

 

He paused for a moment and looked at Shelby as if he expected a sign of praise. But Shelby didn't look at him. She didn’t want to look at him.

 

“You gave me the number to a pizza place.”

 

“Tony’s? Yeah. They have the absolute worst pizza. But they do have a Wednesday combo where you get a slice of pizza and a large soda for $1. Which is a pretty great deal. We should go some time. But what did you do when you realized I gave you their number? Did you laugh? Because I would have. I thought it was pretty funny myself. I just absolutely wanted to die when Tenaya fell for it.”

 

“Well, I didn’t laugh and you can go fuck yourself.”

 

“ What? I just saved our lives. You're being awfully rude, Shelby.”

 

“ I'm being rude? Me?!, “ She exploded, “ I am not the one who put us in this position. I am not the one who risked our lives giving me a bogus number to a PIZZA SHOP because I thought it was funny. I am not the one who has psychotic robots who would have me dead. Who even the fuck are these people, Heckyl? What do they want? Why are they willing to kill you?” 

 

“Does it really matter who they are? They’re dead.”

 

“Who the fuck are they?”

 

Heckyl shrugged his shoulders. 

 

“Friends. Well more of acquaintances really. ”

 

“And how did you all become acquainted?”

 

“Another friend.”

 

“Is this friend...Snide?”

 

“Maybe,” he muttered.

 

“How does Snide know them, Heckyl?”

 

He paused then and Shelby’s eyes narrowed.

 

“How does he know them, Heckyl?”

 

He smiled a tight smile.

 

“Customers.”

 

“ Customers? What are they buying?”

 

“Stuff, ya know.Things”

 

“What stuff?,” Shelby barked, “What does he give them?”

 

“ It’s not really my place to say .”

 

“ No no no. You don't get to do this. You have to tell me.”

 

“ It's kind of a secret.”

 

“ Fuck you .”

 

“ Woah woah woah . I am not the one you should be swearing at.”

 

“I swear to God if you don't tell me I am going to finish what Tenaya couldn’t.”

 

“Well…”

 

Shelby jumped to her feet and approached Heckyl, fists clenched. She had never been this furious before in her life. But he had dragged her into this hell and she deserved answers.  

 

Heckyl crawled backwards and brought his hand up in a sign of surrender. 

 

“Okay okay okay.”

 

Shelby stopped right in front of Heckyl and stared down at him, her eyes daring him to lie.

 

“ What does he give them?”

 

Heckyl smiled uncomfortably

 

“Just some designs for things.”

 

.

.

.

 

The police never came, but Heckyl's people did.

 

Shelby didn’t know when he had had the opportunity to call them, but they had rushed in and carried them into two separate black cars. 

 

She had tried to force more information out of him, but before he could reveal anything else his eyes had rolled into the back of his head and he keeled over, passed out.

 

Shelby knew she should have tried to help him, to stop the bleeding or to keep his body warm, but in the deepest, blackest part of her heart, she didn’t want to help him. So, she didn’t.

 

She had stood there, watching, until she was grabbed and dragged out of the room by strange men in suits. 

 

The men had told her to trust them and that she was safe before tossing her into a nondescript vehicle.

 

The car door had barely shut behind her before the driver had pulled out of the alley and drove away. Shelby had simply laid her head against the window and watched the sun rise above the city.

 

When they reached the university, the driver turned around and spoke for the first and only time.

 

“Have a nice day Ma'am,” He said, as he produced a small package and held it over the seat. “This is for you.”

 

She reached up and grabbed on to it, but he didn’t release it.

 

“I hope you will be able to get over what has happened to you tonight.”

 

He looked her dead in the eye and maintained contact for far longer than was comfortable. After a few more beats he finally allowed Shelby to take the package. She nodded her head, mumbled a thanks, and quickly exited the vehicle.

 

The walk back to her dorm room was a long one. A few early morning joggers passed by her on her commute, but all were too apathetic to stop and show concern.

 

When she finally entered her dorm room, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a frightful, restless sleep.

.

.

.

 

Shelby fell into a fever that racked her body for the rest of the weekend. 

 

She subsisted on nothing but hot tea and saltines and popped tylenol and ibuprofen like she wanted to overdose. 

 

And maybe she did a little. She kept replaying the night over and over again in her mind. She dreamed about it, waking up with a scream when the imaginary diverged from reality and she died. She even mulled over her brief desire to have wanted him to die. It left her sick and she curled up in her blankets trying to scrub the feeling from her mind.

 

Her phone had dinged with messages and emails before she had let it die.

 

Kimberly and Trini messaged their group chat recapping their nights and lightly teasing Shelby for abandoning her sober mom duties. She had apologized and lied about passing out under a table, which sent them into a tizzy.

 

She received an email from the leader of her therapy group. She had missed the last meeting of the year which was a big red-flag. She was more than likely going to be recommended for more sessions over the next semester. 

 

Her parents called to confirm her winter break fight plans and she let it go voicemail knowing she wouldn’t make it through even a quick conversation.

 

And right before her phone was laid to rest, Gcal sent her an alert saying that her final Greco-Roman architecture paper was due in 2 days.

 

This light a fire under her. And she decided to leave her room and get medical help. Her fever had lasted for far longer than normal and she needed to finish editing this paper in a sound state of mind.

 

She  bundled herself up in layers and layers of jackets, coats, and scarves and took the short trip to the emergency department at her school’s health services.  There, the nurses were overworked and understaffed and simply gave her some antibiotics saying it might be pneumonia. She would, however, have to come back later for lab tests to confirm.

 

So, Shelby returned to her dorm and bought a small water bottle from the first floor vending machine. She took two of her antibiotics and made the climb up the five flights of stairs to reach her room.

 

She rounded the corner to her hallway and stopped when she noticed that there was something waiting for her by her door.

 

It was a rectangular box, swaddled in shiny, gold wrapping paper and topped with a red bow. Tapped onto it was a white envelope with her name on it.

 

Shelby picked up the envelope and opened it, briefly wondering if there was more hush money inside. It was just a Christmas card, however, empty except for a handwritten note.

 

_ Dear Shelby, _

 

_ Hope all is well. I wish I could have given this to you in person, but I am still in the hospital on the verge of death. :( Sorry you had to go through all of that. Can’t 100% promise it won’t happen again, but here’s something I hope will help you feel safe. _

 

_ -Heckyl. _

  
  


The message left her slightly perplexed and a little disturbed, but she turned her attention to the box and unwrapped it. 

 

Inside was a Megazord action figure. And on its chest was a red button with a tag attached to it:  _ Press me _

 

Shelby did.

 

_ “It’s morphin time!” _

 

And again.

 

_ “Megazord power up!” _

 

And again.

 

_ “Power Rangers charge up!” _

 

And again.

 

_ “Totally stylin!” _

 

And again

 

_ “All systems go!” _

 

And again.

 

_ “It’s morphin time!” _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjV-8atcsns


End file.
